GSA Submits Economic Recovery Plans to Congress

GSA #10580

March 31, 2009
Contact: GSA Press Office (202) 501-1231

WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration has submitted a $5.55 billion spending proposal to Congress highlighting the public building projects it plans to accomplish with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act directs $750 million to renovate and construct federal buildings and courthouses, $300 million to renovate and construct land ports of entry and $4.5 billion to convert federal buildings to high-performance green buildings.

The complete list of projects will be made available online at: www.recovery.gov.

"GSA welcomes this unprecedented and exciting opportunity to contribute to our nation’s economic recovery, address strategic energy goals and reinvest in our public buildings," said acting Administrator Paul F. Prouty. "We are ready to move forward with speed, tempered by careful consideration of our responsibilities and accountability to the American taxpayer."

GSA’s Public Buildings Service is responsible for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of thousands of federally owned facilities for more than one million civilian employees of the federal government.

Projects were selected based on the speed at which jobs can be created and how much added energy efficiency can be gained. GSA will award $1 billion dollars in the first 120 days. All contracts will be awarded within the next two years.

Because GSA’s priority is to create or maintain jobs, an emphasis was placed on projects that could be awarded in the shortest amount of time.

Investing in its existing infrastructure will help reduce GSA’s backlog of repair needs, increase the value of federal assets and prolong their useful life, further conserving our country’s resources. The money will also lessen our reliance on costly operating leases by providing some government-owned solutions for long-term housing requirements for our federal customers.

Projects are funded across the country, providing benefit for local and state economies, and every state should see at least one GSA project related to the Recovery Act.
 
"We can help get people back to work," said Anthony Costa, acting Commissioner of GSA’s Public Buildings Service. "We can help stimulate the economy by getting money flowing to the building industries – to construction workers, electricians, plumbers, air conditioning mechanics, carpenters, architects, and engineers."

A nationally managed, regionally executed Program Management Office has been established to oversee all Recovery Act projects. The office will be staffed with experts in various fields to support the regional teams delivering the projects. Resources will come from a redeployment of existing GSA officials, the use of permanent and temporary hires, contract sources, and temporary rehires. GSA does not anticipate significant increases in permanent employees.

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GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.
 
• Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 213,000 vehicles.

• GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 480 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services.

• GSA’s mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.
 
Did You Know?  GSA manages approximately 95.6 million rentable square feet of space in 190 federally-owned buildings, including 70 historic buildings and 500 leased buildings.
 
 
Web site references: www.gsa.gov/recovery, www.gsa.gov/gogreen, www.recovery.gov